ABOUT BLACKWELL CARPENTRY
The sole craftsman, Jonathan W. Blackwell, makes each piece with his own hands.
He passionately pours his unique talents and superior craftsmanship into unique pieces of art.
MEET THE CRAFTSMAN
I discovered my passion for woodwork when my late father, Wendell “Boots” Blackwell, gave me my first wood tool set for Christmas in 1990. He taught me the principles of carpentry and together we built some of our home furniture.
My desire to learn more led me to explore my own creativity and to build unique custom pieces. I developed my carpentry skills with each new piece and fell further in love with the work.
Over the last 20 years I have worked in all areas of construction including custom home building, handyman labor, landscaping and of course furniture making.
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I am excited to share my passion, knowledge and experiences in woodworking with my son Dylan and each of you.
UNRIVALED QUALITY CONTROL
Carpenter Assurance
Rest assured each piece is responsibly sourced from sustainably managed forests and farms. Blackwell Carpentry is truly committed to sustainably and responsibly sourcing every piece to help ensure the environment is protected for generations to come.
Due to its fast growing properties, Raintree is a highly sustainable harvested species and it is not listed on the CITES Appendices as a threatened or endangered species.
TRUE ETHICAL SOURCING
ONLY FROM COSTA RICA
Jonathan personally executes every step of the process including selecting the tree, milling, drying, importing, designing and handcrafting the furniture and even delivering it to your door. He takes it a step further and offers installation of shelves, counter tops and the like. This level of care ensures the highest quality wood and guarantees true ethical sourcing.
What is Ethical Sourcing
Ethical sourcing is the process of ensuring the products being sourced are obtained in a responsible and sustainable way, that the workers involved in making them are safe and treated fairly and that environmental and social impacts are taken into consideration during the sourcing process.
FARMER
Teak
The Farmer ensures that each tree is cared for and grown to the highest of standards to reduce insect infestation and number of knots.
LOG DEALER
Raintree
The Log Dealer only sources trees that have received government permission to be extracted, cut and transported.
SAW MILL
Lumber and Slabs
The saw mill receives the logs and each one is assessed for optimal milling. They are rough sawn with a massive 5 foot band saw mill.
SOLAR KILN
Drying and Sterilizing
The Solar Kiln dries the wood through a natural cyclic method which reduces case-hardening and minimizes cracking and warping. It also serves as an alternative to toxic fumigation.
EXPORT/IMPORT
Customs and Freight
The Exporter gets all the documents in order for the U.S. and Costa Rica Customs. In an effort to maintain quality control, Blackwell Carpentry serves as the importer.
Appreciate Each Piece
It all started with finding the right
farmer, log dealer, sawmill, kiln and exporter.
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It finishes with a piece to appreciate for a lifetime.
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Except for the naturally fallen wood extraction process, all the selected trees are felled only during a waning moon at low tide to maintain the least amount of sap within the trees.
The trees are then initially air dried for a short period with the crown, branches and limbs intact, further removing unwanted sap from the trunk. This produces a superior quality of wood that has significantly less cracking and warping and greater insect resistance.
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Each Raintree slab is rough sawn
to a 2.5" thickness.
The Teak is cut to various dimensions
with and without live edge.
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Blackwell Carpentry offers a Collection of pieces to choose from and a Custom Design Experience.
WHY COSTA RICA
My first visit to Costa Rica was in 2010 as a volunteer with a group for cultural immersion and service learning. I greatly appreciated the value placed on natural and social environments and I knew I wanted to continue to be part of it.
My wife and I began personally promoting these trips every summer since then. We show our participants the importance of biodiversity and sustainability. We share with the locals the value of an education and that each one of us can make a difference. We share our passions and visions for a better world and strive to reach these goals together.
A GREENER PATH
In an effort to preserve much of Costa Rica's natural beauty and surroundings, 25% of the country's land has been set aside and turned into protected lands to safeguard them from deforestation. The permitted wood is therefore harvested in a manner that prevents damage to eco-systems.
There are many species of wood that Costa Rica does not allow to be exported in an effort to help re-establish the secondary forests and preserve the magnificent primary forests that still exist today.
Despite the fact that the United States Customs allows import of threatened or endangered wood species, in most cases, it is unsustainable for the country of origin. This is why many businesses choose to source their wood from other countries with more lenient regulations, taking a less sustainable route.